Daily Yellowstone journal., 1887-03-16
HELLO!
The Telephone People Threaten
the Removal of the Miles
City Service.
Last Acts of the Legislature,
Serious and Otherwise
Shortly Stated.
Local Layout Labcriously Gath
cred From the Dusty City
Streets OF Miles.
About Telephones.

About Telephones.
ID. s. Murray, superintend Of the
Rocky Mountain Bell telephone com.
pany, is In town. We understand
bis business here 10 to remove the tele-
phone exchange, unless some arrange
ment can be made with the citizens to
make 1t q better paying institation
than IL has been for year past.
While we should regret the removal
Of the telephone exchange on the
sole ground that 1t might be construed
to Indicate lack of public spirit on the
part Of our people (which it does mott.
we have no regrets at parting with
the miserable excuse for an exchange
that has been palmed off on the SUBJ
scribers almost since its introduction
here, over two years ago. Very
shortly after the exchange was
started the care of the lire
and instruments was entrusted to in
experienced hands who, however
Jealous and ambitious they may have
been, had AZ much call to be monkey
ing with telephones as blscksmith's
helper with q watch. The result of
this cheap and slipshod policy was to
seriously impair the value Of the ser
vice. disgust the patrons and finally to
drive majority Of them away. With
barely fifty subscribers to begin with
the list has gradually lessened to less
than twenty, and many of these have
already signified their intention to
quit. We feel authorized to say to
Mr.. Murray that q competent tele-
phone service at fair rates can be
profitsbly maintained here, but 1t has
got to be fully up to the
demands of the subscribers in
the following points. 1t must
include IA subscriber all the bjsiness
men Of the town. 1t must have
prompt and intelligent service at the
exchange during business hours, and
10 addition an all-nigbt attendant,
whose duties would not be 30 arduous
but that he could get q fair nights rest
and the rental should not exceed So
per month. With these conditions
fulfilled, we feel satisfied that q list Of
from fifty to seventy-fve subscribers
could be secured and held a. long as
the service continued up to the STAN
dard, and surely with poles set and
lines already strung, an income from
fifty to seventy-five machines at So per
month would be more profitable than
from ten or fifteen at IS. IL 10 not be-
cause Miles City does not appreciate a
telephone service that ii Is TO Oe taken
out, but because il has been so inex-
cusably bad that IL was not worthy Of
support. A poor telephone service is
worse than none, for IL you have none
you transact your business In person or
by messenger, but II you have an ex-
cuse for service you waste many val
liable minutes in endeavoring 10. send
message, and eventually give up In
despair and with ruffied temper. Only
yesterday call was made on the CEN
tral for q connection. The answer
came from the central, and the sub
scriber asked for the county clerks
Office. "The county clerks officer"
says the attendant at the switch
board, In an enquiring tone OF voice,
and before further parley could be had
the connection was closed and oil
hopes of the subscriber talking with
the county clerk we're at an end. II
Mr.. Murray will give US q service on
something like the plan indicated be
will be spared the trouble Of removing
the plant. Let her go, Gallagher!